Cardinal Filoni: Missionaries carry Jesus and his Gospel

(Agenzia Fides/Vatican Radio) - "I think that in our College, while we form the young
to the service of God, the Church and its religious Family, we also carry out a principle
of duty to the advancement of women in the life of the Church and the world": said
Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples,
who on Wednesday, May 7th presided over the Eucharistic celebration at the Mater Ecclesiae
College, in Castel Gandolfo, with the national Directors of the Pontifical Mission
Societies (PMS) gathered for the Annual General Assembly.Commenting on the Gospel
of the day, where Jesus reveals himself as the bread of life, the Cardinal pointed
out that "the missionary is he who before anything else, carries with him in his wallet,
the Bread of Life (Jesus and his Gospel); is he who carries in his wallet the planning
of mercy: childhood education, help towards the poor, support for the elderly, the
creation of care centers, closeness to the lonely and destroyed".

Dear
Brothers and Sisters, This evening, we, together with the National Directors of
the Pontifical Mission Societies, are guests of our Mater Ecclesiae College to share,
with the Religious women who live here, a time of prayer and brotherhood. This College,
in fact, is no stranger to the generosity of the Pontifical Societies, which, through
numerous scholarships, allow our sisters from many Congregations of many missionary
Countries to study and be formed spiritually and intellectually. It is a great
initiative that is very dear to the whole Church, to the Congregation for the Evangelization
of Peoples and certainly to the PMS.While I say this, the words of the entrance
antiphon are fulfilled from the Liturgy of this Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter:
"My mouth is filled with your praise..., my lips will shout for joy when I sing praises
to you". These expressions are taken from Psalm 71, which the Psalmist, in a moment
of deep joy, addresses the Almighty feeling his heart overflow with joy. Indeed, we
live in a moment of joy in Christ who gives us his word and allows us, in the Eucharist,
to sing our thanks to God.I think that in our College, while we form the young
to the service of God, the Church and its religious Family, we also carry out a principle
of duty to the advancement of women in the life of the Church and the world, as Pope
John Paul II, now Saint, had clearly written in his Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem,
which highlighted that especially religious women have this task, being closest, due
to their feminine sensibility, to the life of the Church, our Mother, and to all
women wherever they live. Indeed, in Evangelii Nuntiandi, Paul VI had already said
that religious women, for their vocation, are "the outposts of the mission" (EV 69)
of the Church. I like to recall this concept because it seems to respond well to the
purpose of our College, that is to say these religious, one day, are the outposts
of mission and proclamation of the Gospel.In the context of evangelization, in
fact, the religious, as a woman, has a specific charisma, with whom she translates
and interprets that sense of genius, typical of femininity, which so enriches the
missionary nature of the Church in all parts of the world. Let us think of the assistance
of mothers, of children, of the sick, of catechesis and generous witness. Dare I even
say that the beginning of the missionary activity begins with women, when the Risen
Christ asks Mary Magdalene and the others who had come to the tomb, to announce his
resurrection.The first passage of today's Liturgy of the Word tells us that during
the first persecution against the church in Jerusalem, Saul, a persecutor at the time
"entered house after house, dragging out men and women and he handed them over for
imprisonment" (Acts 8: 4). As well as the persecution and dispersion of the primitive
community of believers was not viewed as a disgrace to oppose, nor was the fact that
God, who allows the iniquity and its implementation, meant to be a complaint. Instead,
it was seen as an occasion of grace, because God, through believers who were scattered,
allowed the spread of the good news of the risen Jesus, and this meant to announce
His name and carry out signs of extraordinary charity that touched the bodies and
the people's hearts.And what about the gospel? In this Easter season, re-reading
today's passage of the Evangelist John, does us good. It makes us better understand
the beautiful and consoling words of the Lord, which says to us all: "I am the bread
of life" (Jn 6: 35) and "I will not reject anyone who comes to me" (John 6 , 36).
Jesus, therefore, appears as the bread of life; Jesus presents himself as the word
of mercy!We need to learn from this Master, both as guidance for our lives, and
as guidance for our mission. If Jesus is the bread of life, it means that he is speaking
of the missionary activity, that is to say the missionary activity understood as bread
that nourishes and life to give. If Jesus does not reject anyone, it means that he
is speaking of mercy to bring to all those who are waiting for this mercy in their
lives. The missionary is he who before anything else, carries with him in his wallet,
the Bread of Life (Jesus and his Gospel); is he who carries in his wallet the planning
of mercy: childhood education, help towards the poor, support for the elderly, the
creation of care centers, closeness to the lonely and destroyed, and so on.Jesus,
our Passover, accompanies and joins us in our journey. In today's communion antiphon
the liturgy sings: "The Lord has risen and has shined his light upon us; he has redeemed
us with his blood". The Church does not sing him in the past or for the past, but
for the present. We are the ones who can say: "The Lord has risen! ... He has redeemed
us with his blood". Amen